Presidential Medal of Freedom

Occasionally, the medal award is further denoted as "with distinction." There are no specific criteria for receiving the award with distinction; simply specifies that the award should come in two degrees, and hence any decision to award the higher degree is entirely at the discretion of the president. In 2017, President Barack Obama stated that receiving the award with distinction indicates "an additional level of veneration" in a class of individuals already held in the highest esteem. A total of 674 awards have been given. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the supreme civilian decoration that can be awarded in discretion of the president, whereas its predecessor, the Medal of Freedom, was inferior in precedence to the Medal for Merit; the Medal of Freedom was awarded by any of three Cabinet secretaries, whereas the Medal for Merit was awarded by the president, as is the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

• Name — Presidential Medal of Freedom • Type — Civilian award • Awarded For — Any reason as determined by the president • Country — United States • Presenter — President of the United States • Year — 1963 12 06 • Total Recipients — 674 (an average of one per month since 1963) • Higher — Presidential Medal of Freedom With Distinction • Same — Congressional Gold Medal • Lower — Presidential Citizens Medal • Caption2 — Service ribbons of the award (at left: Medal with Distinction)

President John F. Kennedy established the presidential version of the decoration in 1963 through (signed February 22, 1963), with unique and distinctive insignia, vastly expanded purpose, and far higher prestige. It was the first U.S. civilian neck decoration and, if awarded with Distinction, is the only U.S. sash and star decoration (the Chief Commander degree of the Legion of Merit—which may be awarded to foreign heads of state only—is a star decoration but without a sash). The executive order calls for the medal to be awarded annually on or around July 4, and at other convenient times as chosen by the president, but it has not been awarded every year (e.g., 2001, 2010). The recipient selection process is not made public, but the Trump administration stated that it included recommendations and nominations from the public, Cabinet, White House senior staff, and other presidential advisory bodies, which were then vetted prior to presentation to the President. The order establishing the medal also expanded the size and the responsibilities of the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board so it could serve as a major source of such recommendations. The medal may be awarded to an individual more than once. Colin Powell received two awards, his second being with Distinction; Ellsworth Bunker received both of his awards with Distinction. It may also be awarded posthumously; examples include John F. Kennedy, Steve Jobs, Pope John XXIII, Lyndon Johnson, Sally Ride, John Wayne, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Thurgood Marshall, Cesar Chavez, Walter Reuther, Roberto Clemente, Jack Kemp, Harvey Milk, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, Elouise Cobell, Grace Hopper, Charlie Kirk, Antonin Scalia, Elvis Presley and Babe Ruth. Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner, civil rights workers murdered in 1964, were awarded their medals by President Obama 50 years later. In 1970, President Richard Nixon awarded the medal to the entire Apollo 13 mission operations team, as well as to the mission's crew. Athlete and activist Simone Biles is the youngest person to receive this award at the age of 25.

• Illustration — Medal and accoutrements, including the service ribbon, miniature and lapel badge • Illustration — The Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, as worn with white tie The badge of the Presidential Medal of Freedom is in the form of a golden star with white enamel, with a red enamel pentagon behind it; the central disc bears thirteen gold stars on a blue enamel background (taken from the Great Seal of the United States) within a golden ring. Golden bald eagles with spread wings stand between the points of the star. It is worn around the neck on a blue ribbon having white edge stripes. Women may choose to receive the award as a bow worn on the left chest (as for Margaret Thatcher). A special and rarely granted award, called the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, has a larger version of the same badge, which is worn as a star on the left chest. It comes with a sash that is worn over the right shoulder (similarly to the Grand Cross of an order of chivalry), with its rosette (blue with a white edge, bearing the central disc of the badge at its center) resting on the left hip. When the medal with Distinction is awarded, the star may be presented hanging from a neck ribbon and can be identified by its size, which is larger than the standard badge. In addition to the full-size insignia, the award is accompanied by a service ribbon for wear on military service uniforms, a miniature medal pendant for wear on mess dress or civilian formal wear, and a lapel badge for wear on civilian clothes, all of which comes in the full presentation set. There is a silver bald eagle with spread wings on the miniature and service ribbon, or a golden bald eagle for a medal awarded with Distinction. The Insignia was designed by the Army's Institute of Heraldry, led by Col. Harry Downing Temple.

There is no process for the award to be revoked. This issue has been raised regarding certain recipients, in particular regarding the award given to actor and comedian Bill Cosby, following allegations of sexual assault against him.

• Illustration — A. Philip Randolph receiving the Medal from President Lyndon Johnson at one of the first ceremonies, 1964 • Illustration — Walt Disney receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964 • Illustration — President Richard Nixon presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Duke Ellington, 1969 • Illustration — President Gerald Ford awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to Martha Graham, 1976 • Illustration — Arthur Goldberg speaking at his ceremony where he was awarded the Medal by President Jimmy Carter, 1978 • Illustration — President Ronald Reagan presenting Mother Teresa with the award, 1985 • Illustration — Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher receiving the award, in its unusual bow form, from President George H. W. Bush, 1991 • Illustration — Rosa Parks receives the award from President Bill Clinton, 1996. • Illustration — Fred Rogers smiles as he receives the award from President George W. Bush, 2002. • Illustration — Bob Dylan receives the Medal from President Barack Obama, 2012. • Illustration — President Donald Trump presents the Medal to Tiger Woods, 2019. • Illustration — President Joe Biden presenting the Medal to Sister Simone Campbell, 2022 • Illustration — President Joe Biden presents the Medal to Jens Stoltenberg, 2024. • Illustration — President Donald Trump presenting the medal to Erika Kirk, on behalf of her recently deceased husband Charlie Kirk, 2025 • Illustration — President Donald Trump announces Team USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to receive the Medal of Freedom at the State of The Union, 2026.